Gate-latch



(No Model.) Y

F. W. LEGHNER.

GATE LATCH.

No. 559,295. L Patentedfxpr. 29, 1995. 7 f l i 3Q i d' ff D l d WUWESSES i zJvI/EJVTOR WKO/9M wl Attorney L/N ATENT OFFICE.

FRED IV. LEGI-INER, OF GARFIELD, ILLINOIS.

GATE-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ifatent No. 559,295, dated April 28, 1896. Application iiled May 21, 1894. Renewed Ie'bruary 17,1896. Serial No. 579,660. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED WV. LECHNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lareld, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

Figure l of the drawings isan elevation showing the invention applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of latch. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of latch-lever.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in gate-latches, the object being to provide a simple, cheap, and convenient form of latch which may be readily applied to various styles of gates now in use; and the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating myinvention, the letter A designates a gate which may be of any of the common forms, it being necessary, should the gate not already have it, to provide it with a vertical post B at the forward edge thereof.

C designates the latch, which is applied vertically to the gate, the upper portion of the said latch being offset laterally at ot and bent partially upon itselfv to form an angular or hook portion l). The lower extended end por- .7", which is engaged by the offset at a when the said latch is raised to the proper distance. The downward movement of the latch is limited by reason of the engagement of its bend or hook b with a horizontally-projecting arm g of a latch-lever G. Said lever comprises a small plate having parallel lugs which loosely embrace the upper portion of the first picket, to which they are pivoted by a switch-pin.

The horizontally-projecting arm g of said le- -ver engages the latch just above the upper bar of the gate. In the absence of a picket a small arm may be attached to the gate-frame for the purpose of supporting this latch-lever.

II H are the strike and catch plates for the gate and its latch, said plates being secured to the inner face of the latch-post I, as shown, said plates being respectively in position for engagement with the strike portions d and d of the latch.

The action of the latch in closing is automatic, the beveled strike portions d and d striking the plates I-l H, throwing the latch upwardly and permitting it to again fall into engagement with the said plates.

To raise the latch the lever G is rocked on its pivot, the engagement of its arm g with the said latch raising it to permit it to pass the catch-plates.

It will be observed that the plates H H also serve as strike-plates for the gate, the post B being preferably slightly cut away to receive said plates. The latch-lever being on the upper portion of the iirst picket of the gate is just where the hand most naturally grasps the gate in opening.

The strike and catch pieces CZ and d may be separate pieces fitted onto the latch-lever, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patn ent, is*` The hereindescribed gate-latch, comprising the latch proper applied vertically to the forward edge portion of the gate and free to reciprocate vertically for a limited distance, an angular portion or hook at the upper end of said latch, beveled strike and catch portions at the extremities of said latch, a latchlever fulcrumed to the upper forward portion of the gate and having a horizontally-proj ectin g arm engaging the angular or hook portion of the said latch, and strike-plates in position to be engaged by the strike and catch portions of the said latch, substantially as specified.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED W'. LECHNER.

itnessesz 1 GEORGE H. PARMELEE, PHILIP C. MASI.

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